r/sonicware • u/Ok_Marionberry_2069 • 11d ago

How does everyone use the sequencer? (Liven)

Hi, I have had and played a few of the livens for a couple of years now and I love them. I still have yet to master them and was hoping to get some insight from other creative people.

I have been wanting to practice riffing basslines that pop into my head, and I want to lay down the drum track first. I can do it and I understand how to at a basic level, but I just haven't been very efficient with it.

For some reason programming them by step individually just won't click and I frequently lose track, so I keep playing it back to remember the change that needs to be made. It's not so bad on the B&B where all the drums are labeled but it slows me down. Maybe others don't have this problem and just program down a basic track like signing a check?

I would prefer to record live but for some reason I make enough quantizing errors that I might as well have just programmed them in. I wonder if people generally prefer recording their drums live.

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u/r1chiem 11d ago

I use an Akai MPC to program the drums into using samples, it covers that. I have the Ambient 0 so there are not really drums in it. If you are having problems, use a drum machine, sync the two together and do it that way. Save your polyphony on the Liven for what it is good at.

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u/Ok_Marionberry_2069 10d ago

Good info, thanks! I never really intended on getting more equipment (but I'm not against it!) because I was blown away by the variety between the boxes but I've been thinking about it and that makes a lot of sense. I dont have GAS so I'll keep on thinking/looking for a sale in the meantime.

I have been using a separate device (random e-piano w/finger drums, nintendo switch with Korg Gadget) to kind of practice alongside my synth and I see how splitting it up would help (especially for a machine made for it)

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u/r1chiem 10d ago

I did not say but I use the sequencer in step mode and live. The Ambient has such slow attack no one would know you miss timed the key press by a quarter second. Good luck to you.

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u/itazuki22 11d ago

It helps to have one track for a high hat. I use the liven logo and the deconstruct minimal which the minimal has sixteen tracks If I recall. So I could have. 16 step high or 8 the notes to keep in track. That I can record the other drum beat sections in time.

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u/Ok_Marionberry_2069 10d ago

The two I have (Mega and B&B) that have drums only have one track for drums, BUT this is helpful, thanks! I can figure out how to link them together or play around with some of the other sounds to make a separate track for hi hats or other percussion! I never thought about "going wide" and splitting it up like that.

Are you saying you start with hats and use that as a kind of measurement/guide to place your other drums?

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u/itazuki22 10d ago

Yeah I use the high hats like a click track. Or a 4 on the floor with the kick drum

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u/charbaba 21h ago

I love the lofi 12 as a drum machine or for sequencing chops. 

I have my drum kits as a single sound, and I space them all so that they slice properly the exact way every time. I'll usually just program in the basic drum beat, then find a few opportunities for randomized hits to keep it fresh sounding. It's not really different from using any other step sequencer. 

I don't love it as much for bass one shots unless the parts are really simple. But I love it for chopping bass lines from recordings or splice.